Griffin and Serpent
by Aoi Dragon
Summary: He found himself in a world not his own where the Dark Lord was not the one he knew. ONE SHOT


**Aoi Dragon: I've had this written for a really long time. So, I hope people like this little idea. Read and Review!**

Tom stood in the devastation that had once been the Great Hall of Hogwarts. _What the bloody hell?_ He'd just seen the Great Hall at the Leaving Feast, and it was fine. _Where's Dumbledore? Had Lord Griffin gotten through the wards?_ Tom brushed some dirt off his shoulder and straightened his Head Boy badge. He ran a hand through his hair, revealing a small lightning bolt scar. He then strode into the hall and was tackled by someone as a Killing Curse zoomed over their heads.

"Are you bloody mad?" Came a voice.

Tom frowned and looked up at the person who had spoken, "What's going on?"

"What's going on?" The blonde boy looked incredulous, "Where've you been for the past two hours? You-Know-Who's invading and his Death Eaters are –" He was cut off as a Killing Curse hit him and he crumpled to the floor.

Tom stared for a moment, shocked, and then his expression contorted to one of absolute rage. He stood and turned in one swift motion, drawing his wand fluidly and cast a spell he'd created during his Fifth Year, "Crupomolidos." The color of the spell was similar to that of the Killing Curse, but instead of killing the person outright, it caused their skin to rot away bit by tiny bit. It was Dark Magic, but Tom hardly cared.

His spell hit a Death Eater, who screeched, and the mask fell away revealing someone Tom did not expect, "You'll pay for that boy!" It was Kritios Avery, one of Tom's best friends… but the eyes – the eyes were so different, almost insane. "Crucio!"

Tom dodged, "What the hell is going on?" He yelled, "Kritios!"

The Death Eater's eyes narrowed, "How do you know my name? You're too young to know me at all."

"Why are you with the The Griffin? You're supposed to be helping me defeat him!" Tom dodged another dark curse and cast one of his own, "Ikerus!" The purple spell was meant to explode an eye, but the Death Eater dodged.

"I do work for the Dark Lord," Avery answered with pride, "but he'd never associate himself with a Griffin. No, he is the king of serpents."

"What?"

"Expelliarmus!" Came a new voice, "Run! Come on!"

Tom hesitated for only a second as Avery recovered his wand, but took off toward the voice. He caught up with the girl who had frizzy blonde hair and big blue eyes. He gave her a nod, "Thanks, but I could've handled it."

"You're a long way from home," She said lightly as they ran, "The Griffin is still fighting the Snake, but things are not what they seem."

"You're making no sense. Who are you?"

"I'm Luna Lovegood."

Tom's steps faltered, "Luna… Lovegood? Are you friends with Lord… ummm… I mean… Harry Potter?"

"I suppose I am. He's out and about with Hermione and Ron. They're searching for some things to help them destroy You-Know-Who," She paused, "Although it's a different You-Know-Who from the one you're use to."

"What's Potter doing?" Tom sneered at the name of his nemesis.

"He's trying not to die. He is, after all, the Boy-Who-Lived."

Tom was stunned, "What?"

"Harry's the Boy-Who-Lived, just like you," Luna explained as if she was saying the sky was blue and the grass was green, although with the battle going on, the grass was more of a rusty brown than a green color.

"If Potter's the Boy-Who-Lived…"

"Yes. You're the Dark Lord."

Tom went pale, "No… I can't be. I'd never –"

"From what I know, your life in this world has been quite different from yours, I think. You are much older, for one."

"I don't understand… Potter's – and I'm – but that's impossible! How'd I get here?"

They had stopped running, unable to head footsteps following them. Luna shrugged, "I think the Nargles brought you here for their amusement."

"Nargles!?" Tom looked utterly confused, "I've never heard of Nargles."

"Not many have. Nargles are –"

He cut her off, "Miss Lovegood, I don't care about Nargles. I need to know where Dumbledore is."

"Dead."

Tom went pale again, "What? No! Dumbledore can't die."

"He's dead."

"Lucius Malfoy?"

"Death Eater."

"Bellatrix Black?"

"Lestrange and also a Death Eater."

"Severus Snape?!" He would think that Severus would not join with the Death Eaters because he was a Half-Blood.

Luna's big blue eyes hardened, "A Death Eater and a traitor. I believe all of your friends, as you'd call them where you're from, are Death Eaters here."

"Even… even Regulus?" _He'd never be Death Eater material. He's too gentle._

"He's dead too."

"Damn. Damn it all to bloody hell and back," Tom let out a few more curses, "What the bloody hell am I supposed to do now?"

"Perhaps you need to team up with Harry and help him defeat your other self," Luna suggested.

"Yeah, like that'd go over well," The Slytherin Head Boy scowled, "I can just imagine it right now: 'Hi, I'm Tom Riddle, but I'm not connected to your Dark Lord at all. In fact, I want to help you to defeat him so I can go back home and defeat your Dark Lord self. How's that sound?' Yeah, he'd kill me before I got five words out."

"You never know…" Luna said mysteriously.

"Uhg. This is going to take a while," Tom groaned.


End file.
